Angered Lebanese people are demonstrating in southern Beirut on Monday to protest against the current situation of the presidential election.
Lebanese New TV's footage showed that tens of people gathered in Kafaat and Mosharafeyeh in southern Beirut, burning tires and chanting slogans against repeated postponements of the presidential election.
Lebanese Parliament is due to convene on Tuesday in an eighth attempt to elect a president to take a vacant post since Nov. 24when former President Emile Lahoud's terms ended.
The feuding pro- and anti-Syrian camps agreed last week on Lebanese Army's Chief General Michel Suleiman as a consensus candidate for the post.
But local press forecasted Monday that the long-awaited parliamentary session was unlikely to take place on time as the rival blocs are still divided on how to amend the constitution to allow for Suleiman's election, as well as on the shape and policies of the future government.
Gen. Suleiman, 59, has held his post since 1998. He is seen as a neutral figure in a country where nearly every politician is considered either in the two feuding camps.
According to Lebanon's constitution, a senior public servant has to stand down from his post two years ahead of running for the presidency.
Lebanese ruling coalition and the opposition have been separated by a wide chasm since six of the latter's ministers resigned from Premier Fouad Seniora's government in November last year.
The presidency deadlock deepened the Lebanese political crisis as fears are mounting that failure in reaching a deal on the presidential candidate could result in a power vacuum in the country.
Source: Xinhua
|